St. Louis Area Grocery Store Employees Avoid Strike

Last month, members of United Food and Commercial Workers Local 655 voted overwhelmingly against a contract proposed by Schnucks Markets. Members authorized a strike, and while a strike was never imminent, the possibility of a strike was certainly at the forefront of discussions surrounding the labor dispute.

On October 26, 2016, after many meetings between union leaders and Schnucks management, a new contract was placed before members for a vote. While some members chanted “tear it up” of the new agreement, union leaders supported the new contract and it ultimately was approved by a vote of 1020 to 507.

The new agreement will govern terms and conditions of employment for those employees within the bargaining unit for the next three years. Union leaders said the new agreement provided more favorable wages and were pleased that they were able to avoid a strike.

Management was similarly positive about the new agreement stating,“[w]e have worked with Local 655 for decades and our goal is always to reach an agreement that’s a win-win for our teammates and the communities we serve, said Todd Schnuck, Chairman and CEO of Schnuck Markets. “This is an important contract in the face of increasing competitive pressures from nearly 600 non-union stores.”

In addition to representing Schnucks employees, the UFCW represents employees at Dierbergs and Shop n’ Save stores in the St. Louis metropolitan area. Voting on similar agreements between the UFCW and Dierbergs and Shop n’ Save is scheduled to take place in the next few weeks.

The St. Louis employment attorneys at McMahon Berger have been representing employers across the country in labor and employment matters for over sixty years, and are available to discuss these issues and others. As always, the foregoing is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice regarding any particular situation as every situation must be evaluated on its own facts. The choice of a lawyer is an important decision and should not be based solely on advertisements.